Rocky Grass Tarp Line policy?

[psayhey]

i wonder what the talent thinks when they look out and see all your scowling, motionless faces.....

Hey everyone, let's all say hooray for stereotyping everyone in the crowd.

go up front and take a picture, turn around and observe.

I'm too busy dancing up front, looking at the mountains, getting a beer, or in the river to worry about how others are spending their time (other than my friends).

Now that being said, I did call someone a fascist one time when I was told to sit down while grooving. Note, I told that person how I felt, not the entire crowd.

you weren't up front grooving at any rockygrass i've been to, unless you were the guy i saw the old lady throwing ice cubes at. you may well have been grooving where i was also grooving, off to the side, squeezed into a walkway, essentially; we were in the same beer line, looking at the same mountains- loving it!
i'm only reporting what i've experienced and suggesting what i believe will make the experience better.

[BillyBeru]

i wonder what the talent thinks when they look out and see all your scowling, motionless faces.....

Hey everyone, let's all say hooray for stereotyping everyone in the crowd.

go up front and take a picture, turn around and observe.

I'm too busy dancing up front, looking at the mountains, getting a beer, or in the river to worry about how others are spending their time (other than my friends).

Now that being said, I did call someone a fascist one time when I was told to sit down while grooving. Note, I told that person how I felt, not the entire crowd.

you weren't up front grooving at any rockygrass i've been to, unless you were the guy i saw the old lady throwing ice cubes at. you may well have been grooving where i was also grooving, off to the side, squeezed into a walkway, essentially; we were in the same beer line, looking at the same mountains- loving it!
i'm only reporting what i've experienced and suggesting what i believe will make the experience better.

The Planet is doing the best they can. I agree with you that the dancing area should be much bigger.

I also understand and get that RockyGrass is not Telluride - there are a lot more patrons who like/need to sit down. I'm fine with that and I adjust my experience in light of this.

ps I dance upfront if I want to!

[psayhey]

i wonder what the talent thinks when they look out and see all your scowling, motionless faces.....

Hey everyone, let's all say hooray for stereotyping everyone in the crowd.

go up front and take a picture, turn around and observe.

I'm too busy dancing up front, looking at the mountains, getting a beer, or in the river to worry about how others are spending their time (other than my friends).

Now that being said, I did call someone a fascist one time when I was told to sit down while grooving. Note, I told that person how I felt, not the entire crowd.

you weren't up front grooving at any rockygrass i've been to, unless you were the guy i saw the old lady throwing ice cubes at. you may well have been grooving where i was also grooving, off to the side, squeezed into a walkway, essentially; we were in the same beer line, looking at the same mountains- loving it!
i'm only reporting what i've experienced and suggesting what i believe will make the experience better.

The Planet is doing the best they can. I agree with you that the dancing area should be much bigger.

I also understand and get that RockyGrass is not Telluride - there are a lot more patrons who like/need to sit down. I'm fine with that and I adjust my experience in light of this.

ps I dance upfront if I want to!

seems we're in the same boat, save that i fear the wrath of that old lady and will not challenge her kung-fu.
i admire and respect the work of Planet Bluegrass and would like to see this one tiny accommodation for youthful energy. the dance area we have now is just unacceptable.  we either need more space or crappier music.....     
billy, let me get you a beer or something?
see you in july!

 Listening to: bela fleck and the flecktones - live at the quick

[BillyBeru]

Beers at RockyGrass? You are on! 

[newatTBF09]

Just go when it is comfortable for you, find a spot to hang and forget it already. HAVE FUN instead, Isn't that what it's all about?

 Listening to: Steve Martin

[Auntie Hope]

"we either need more space or crappier music..... "

You guys crack me up. This has to be one of the funniest things I have ever read on this forum. Think of me when you're drinking that beer! 

Auntie Hope <--- who decided to see how the other half was living..... 

[Cindy Lou]

   I'm one of those people who gets yelled at because I like to dance, and when the music moves me, I get up and dance.  If I took the time to get over to the "designated" area I would miss the song!
One of the girls I camped with 2 years ago thought I was joking when I said I would be dancing on the tarp, and just couldn't believe it when I actually did.  However, by Sunday, she was right up there with me dancing away and having a good 'ol time, which is why we are there.
I'm short so I don't block anyone's view anyway, but I do look behind me to see if I really am blocking anyone, and if so, I adjust and go stand in front of a big tree to dance!  

I'd rather have people in front of me dancing  than people behind me talking any day!  or drunk guys yelling! 

[erndog]

I say we set up chairs, take away the tarps and have reserved seating. There are different levels of Dollars spent. The closer you need to be, the more your ticket costs. No tarp run, dancing in designated areas and everyone is relaxed and well rested. No big land rush. I'm to old to run any way...

Which is EXACTLY what they do at Merlefest and it SUCKS . . .

How about, instead, the Planet establish an "old goat" section - - - a shaded spot over by the silo, far enough from the stage so the bass tones won't interfere with your hearing aide and close enough to the bathrooms so you can make it there in time . . .

[boulderburner]

i just wanted to drop $0.02, as the lady and i talked about this for a couple of hours last night.....

i, a multi-year veteran of planet bluegrass events, just think it's the funniest (and saddest) thing that everyone gets in an uproar about this tradition, the tarp run. i simply don't understand why you're in such a hurry so grab up the perfect spot TO SIT STILL ALL DAY. i have to admit that i'm a little embarrassed when the music is just right to touch your soul and get your feet moving and you look over to the entire rocky grass crowd from our little sliver of dance area and they're sitting perfectly still. you folks just don't appear very festive. i wonder what the talent thinks when they look out and see all your scowling, motionless faces.....

i say displace the poser pit and a fair dance area UP FRONT! that stage is plenty tall to accommodate plenty of folks' hot feet without blocking the views of everyone seated IN THE BACK and/or OFF TO THE SIDES! allow the ENERGY to be received by the artists.

Ha - I posted about the exact same thing last year.   Sadly, it looks like tradition wins and the area in front of the stage will always be full of empty tarps and motionless sitters...

http://www.festivarian.com/index.php/topic,8654.0.html

[Mel]

Fest is fest! 

Part of the fun is sitting in the tarp line and goofing off.  Part of the fun is sorting out who got what lottery number.  Part of the fun is running like a maniac with a huge tarp - one that is WAYYYY bigger than a dinky 5X7 - and unfurling it like a flag and dancing on it when you're done.  Part of the fun is making new friends when you're the only one on your respective tarp and folks want to stop and sit a spell.

Part of the fun is watching this topic unfold each and every year, at each and every PB festival. 

I suspect that if someone comes up with a viable, reasonable, executable solution, it'll be rejected by the other 98% of us festi-folk, and they'll bitch about that.

Plus, I haven't met many folks who are surly because they're in the tarp line, or are surly because they didn't get as far in front because they are slower than the next guy. 

A couple of years ago I broke my foot (at RG), sat in the back in a chair, didn't run the tarp and didn't sit in the line.  I still had a blast, people were still nice to me, and there is not a bad seat anywhere between the stage and Wildflower Pavilion.

There are seats/chairs in the front, maybe you guys can figure out how to get a seat there.  I'd do it if I didn't love being on the tarp so much - and everything that has to occur to get there.

[Mel]

i wonder what the talent thinks when they look out and see all your scowling, motionless faces.....

Hey everyone, let's all say hooray for stereotyping everyone in the crowd.

***SCOWL****

I shall aspire to keep my face motionless as I sit in my favorite spot on the tarp that someone I love ran for me and the rest of my festi-family. 

And, don't shoosh me!!!

[LuAnna]

it's too long of a day from the first act to the last to stand the entire time. And if those standing are in the front, they block the view of the band for people  behind them.  I am ALL FOR DANCING... and if the dance area needs to be bigger.... then perhaps it should be enlarged.  But in front, please NO! 

Erndog I love you dearly but Merlefest does not suck at all... and yes, I have always reserved seats.. the dancers to the side there works just fine in my opinion. There are some other things that did not work at all last time I was there... but this forum is not the place for THAT discussion. We will talk about it RockyGrass... but not on the tarp...

...cuz no matter what the venue, "talking kills music", so color me sitting and listening to every note... until the end of the evening when the standing at the end of the night is expected... sometimes even before the encore.

Every venue and festival has it's culture. and they do not all have to be the same. I like the culture of the Planet Bluegrass festivals ... especially the ones at Lyons. at Telluirde, I adjust pretty well!

and PLEASE .. don't call me an old lady just because I choose not to stand and dance all day..... there are plenty of people there who are over 50..but no one there is old in spirit.

 
LuAnna

[jmw]

I've been attending for several years now but have been to many, many other large festivals (Grey Fox/Winterhawk, Philadelphia Folk Fest, Merlefest, etc. all of which are magnitudes larger, etc.). None have this "problem." By problem, I mean a policy that sucks the life out of the festival by having people spend hours in line waiting for a ticket for a chance to wait in another line when they could be hanging out in the campground partying, jamming, etc.... I understand that as with any other festival there will be a land rush, for better or worse, and that some means needs to be determined to make it fair, but the current policy seems malicious - wait in line til we feel like coming over to hand out the numbers. I suggest a computerized solution to this--generate random numbers via computer kiosks that people can access anytime the day/night before and then limit the line up to the morning as stated currently in the policy (1 hr before) based on those randomly generated numbers.

[completejohn]

At the biggest stage at the New Orleans Jazz fest, there's a small VIP area (paying posers!), then a fence.  Then a HUGE area that allows NO tarps & NO chairs.  It's first come, first stand.  It is just about empty for the first couple of bands, then fills up closer to the time when the big name acts hit the stage. 

Seems to work pretty well for those willing to stand, and those who want to sit in chairs or party on huge tarps don't seem to mind it because that section starts even with the sound board - still pretty decent seats - and for most of the day there's nobody blocking their view.  And if something moves them to dance, they just head up toward the stage into the standing room only section.

[jlevene]

I've attended RG in Lyons since 1992 and RMBGF since 1988 and I have seen the process evolve.

There are many topics on this thread.

* The 1st post is a request to hand out numbers early rather later in the post midnight hours.  I hope this happens too as many people would rather enjoy a social time not stuck in line or get a full nights sleep.  I often feel restricted by the whim of PB and the lack of a planned time to hand out the numbers.  I realize that PB has a lot of issue to attend to during the evening, but the sooner this is over the sooner those other issues can be attended too.  I guess I am asking to make this a higher priority in the list of things to do in the midnight hours.  As for the 5AM comment, I recall this happened because the person assigned to this task had fallen asleep.  For those that posted they enjoy the social of the line, then you can stay in line after the numbers are handed out. 

* I like the idea of the line moving forward to pick up a number from the PB personnel.  The other comment of PB taking 3x5 card requests is probably asking PB to take to much time on this issue. 

* Tarps vs Chairs is an interesting discussion.  Merlefest switched to assigned chairs at a premium price, but the chairs were uncomfortable.  I agree there is too much open area during the day, but this is a choice of the people to not attend the music of the lessor known bands. Personally, I look forward to the earlier acts and hearing artists I am not familiar with.  But once the late afternoon sun is sinking low and the well known bands are performing the area gets full.

* Dancing versus sitting:    One reason I think we always sat down in front is that the front of house sound system is sitting below ground level and they need to see the stage. I always enjoyed the idea of sitting and listening and if I want to dance I move to the dance area.  I've felt this way even before I started feeling Old and In the Gray!

So back to the original post.  Another idea floated around recently was to issue line numbers with your festival ticket.  It could still be generated randomly, it could be assigned differently for each days music, there could be no preference for week-end ticket holders or daily ticket holders, and thus there is no need for a lineup at midnight. 










 Listening to: Did anyone else attend the Greg Garrison shows @ dazzle? what a great evening of music!